Need to lose 150 lbs for my health and happiness

pandalady8
pandalady8 Posts: 34 Member
edited September 20 in Introduce Yourself
I want to introduce myself and see if anyone is/has been in a similar situation and can offer advice. I'm 25 and have been seriously overweight my whole life. I'm now in graduate school pursuing my doctorate degree in neuropharmacology and cancer biology at Duke University. I've recently developed health issues and have had some difficulty doing my work. I'm also just plain tired of being overweight and being embarrassed to go in public because of my size. Long hours in the lab certainly aren't making exercise any easier to work into my schedule. Plus the shear amount of weight I need to lose - nearly 150 lbs - is overwhelming. I'm hoping that using this website will keep me on track to lose the weight so I can have a normal, successful, and above all else happier life!

Replies

  • elephantmeg
    elephantmeg Posts: 113 Member
    welcome and good luck! I lost 40 lbs before starting this website-break up your weight loss into smaller packages and reward yourself! I did something for each 5 lbs lost (lost 1-2 lbs a week).
  • KaeChelle
    KaeChelle Posts: 576
    Welcome! This is a great place to start. I have been overweight my whole life too, and this is the first time I've been motivated to do something about it, now at 32 years old. I have lost 20 pounds since joining this site in January. I need to lose over 100 pounds. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want and maybe we can help motivate each other! I hope you are successful on this journey!
  • red01angel
    red01angel Posts: 806 Member
    You can DO it! It's hard work, but so worth it!
    You already know how to work hard and discipline yourself - you're in a PhD program at Duke for Christ's sake - it's just a matter of channeling those values into a different aspect of your life.

    Good luck to you!
  • SylvieJacques
    SylvieJacques Posts: 113 Member
    Hello

    I agree with what was said... break it in small objectives and reward yourself with non-food stuff at your milestones (e.g. every 10 pounds you loose). It doesn't need to be a big reward but simply something meaningful to you that would make you happy. NEVER loose track of your progress. Sometimes they tend to get diluted as they are not happening overnight. You have a great tool with you that allow you to review your weight from the past, do check on a weekly basis to see your good progress. Most of all, be realistic in the time line allocated to your mini-goals.

    I'm usually always around if you need any support or encouragement, but believe in yourselve and you CAN do it.

    Sylvie.
  • You are doing a great thing for yourself! You have no idea how much better you are going to feel. I have so much more energy now! After I lost the first 50lbs I looked back and sighed with relief; I am not going there ever again (as long as I can humanly help it ;). I agree with rewarding yourself as you go. If you are on a shoestring budget, like I was, buy new clothes every 10lbs or so from Salvation Army or Goodwill. That way you feel good, you look good, and you don't have to feel guilty about donating the clothes when they are too big again! :) Good luck!!!
  • waymethb
    waymethb Posts: 21 Member
    welcome and good luck! I get from your post that you want to make this a "lifestyle" change and not just lose the weight but keep the old habits thing. I would suggest the first thing you do is make small goals for yourself. Like you want to lose 5 to 10 pounds in a month or you want to work out 3 to 4 times a week for a month. Then when you reach these smaller goals you can reward yourself but I would suggest not to reward with food...go get a manicure/pedicure, buy new workout clothes or something else that will help you stay motivated. This way you won't get discouraged if you have a week where the weight just doesn't come off...and you won't be overwhelmed with all the weight you are planning to lose.
    Another tip I found that helps is get a friend to be your "workout" buddy. Someone you know or even someone on here that you can report into and help each other stay on track and eat and exercise right! This site is great way to see just want you are eating and how much you are exercising!
    Again, I want to say welcome and good luck! You will do great!
  • Hello & Welcome I also need to lose that amount of weight so feel free to add me as a friend and we can do this together and with all the other lovely people on this site, just remember you are not alone now we all can help each other
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    chekc out the Black Team thread. There are more than one 100+ losers on there!

    We all did it the same way.......1 pound at a time (or for me, 1/2 at a time :laugh:)

    Welcome!!
  • iwillweighlessoneday
    iwillweighlessoneday Posts: 30 Member
    Hi!
    Welcome here! Everyone seems to be super nice and friendly. I'm Jenn, feel free to add me as a friend. I need to lose about 100 or so pounds, so I'm in a similar category to you.

    Don't think of it as a diet - it's a lifestyle change. :)
  • PecanTan
    PecanTan Posts: 47
    You know I think that every person who is overweight regardless of the fact that it may be a little or a lot of weight to lose, it really does not matter how much it is, the same thing wholes true for both, we all are going to have to make up in our own mind first, that a change has to take place. Once we come to terms with the change then action must come next. You have done both of these things you first decided that you needed to make a change then you took action by joining this site so that when times get hard and you need added support which they will, you will be surrounded by the people and resources to keep you on track to reach the goal that you have set before you. You can achieve what you have set out to do and with all our help it want be as bad as you think it will be. Stay positive and try to check in daily with your MFP friends, don't let your self get hung up on minor set backs, just keep looking forward and before you realize it the weight has left you. I have faith that your journey will truly be rewarding to you but also to all of us as you continue to make it to finish line, also just remember once you get there that this will not be the end but only the beginning of wonderful life ahead of you. I'm here if you want to add me as friend and if not I'm still here and will be rooting for you all the way!!:happy:
  • aml0484
    aml0484 Posts: 425
    I agree with what everyone else said. Make sure it is a lifestyle change and not just a diet. Make small goals and reward yourself for meeting them. I also think it is important to take your measurements once or twice a month. I know for me it is really motivational to see how many inches I have lost especially if the scale stalls out for a week or two. Feel free to add me too if you want. I started with about 100 lbs to lose.
  • Two years ago I lost 156 lbs, it was not easy but the biggest thing for me was the fact that my weight dominated every aspect of my life. My defining moment came when my family went to Paris and every where they suggested we stop to have coffe or eat, I would turn up my nose, they thought I was being fussy but little did they know I was checking out the chairs to see If they would fit around my backside and were they robust enough to take my weight? I came home and vowed then to shift the weight that I had carried around for over twenty years...and I did and I am living my new life. I think the most important thing that I learnt was that when I have bad days or even weeks, that feeling of failure that I used to experiance was so negative it contriubted to my weight gain. I have been so busy catching up on those things that were closed to me before the weight drop that I took my eye of the ball and have gained some weight but remember that when children learn to walk they still fall over.....I joined this site today and have found new inspiration and will soon be back to my new found self but if it takes a while that's o.k , it's o.k to fall over sometimes!
    good luck, learn from your good times but also those bad times..
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  • megamom
    megamom Posts: 920 Member
    Welcome this is a great place.
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